Portable fireplaces and fire pits are used by campers and homeowners to provide outdoor heat and the pleasant appearance of a wood fire. Commercial portable fireplaces include the Weber Model No. 2710, depicted on page 28 of the Service Merchandise Catalog, 1989, and one offered at page 6 of Sporty's Preferred Living Catalog (Clermont Airport, Batavia, Ohio 45103-9747). A fire started from wood has eye appeal and presents a pleasant aroma. However, it is not, initially, a very good fire for cooking and it can take a long time to burn wood down to hot coals which are regarded as the best for cooking purposes.
Charcoal has the advantage over wood in that, once started, it can reach the hot coal state earlier than wood and thus is generally preferred for cooking. Charcoal briquettes are, however, difficult to start. Also, charcoal briquettes are more expensive than wood. Indeed, wood can often be found at or around campsites and used at little or no cost.
Portable barbeque grills are often employed for cooking with charcoal briquettes. Starting of charcoal briquettes in such grills by means of portable propane or like starters is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,589,312; 3,410,261; and 3,605,653. Charcoal briquettes are also started in separate non-gas fired apparatus such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,814,035; 3,765,397; and 3,915,144. This latter reference also shows using an electric starter to start a log fire and the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,312 reference suggests using a propane starter in the same manner. Propane gas is also used to stimulate a charcoal briquette cooking fire as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,131.
Thus, the camper wishing a hot coals cooking fire must generally choose either to go with relatively expensive and hard to start charcoal briquettes or wait a longer time while the relatively inexpensive wood fire reaches its hot coal state.